NEW ORLEANS ? University of New Orleans head baseball coach Tom Walter has announced the signing of eight standouts, with one being eligible for the upcoming 2007 season.
Catcher TJ Hitt, second baseman Justin Edwards, shortstop Michael Knipper, outfielder Jay Morris, along with right-handers Matt Brown, Greg Chiles, Corey Myers and Zach Ludwig will be part of a class Walter feels will be one of the best he's put together at UNO.
Hitt will be eligible for 2007 season while the rest will be eligible for 2008.
“(Associate head coach) Bruce Peddie and (assistant coach) Kirk Bullinger have done an outstanding job of identifying and attracting local and national talent,” Walter said. “With these eight players, we have upgraded our talent level and our character level.”
Hitt, Edwards and Knipper each played last season at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.
Hitt was a team II NJCAA All-American after hitting .398 with six home runs, 40 RBIs and 14 doubles.
“TJ will be eligible for us this spring and will add depth to a relatively young and inexperienced catching staff,” Walter said. “He is an outstanding defensive catcher and a pretty good athlete who will control the running game.”
Edwards hit .302 with 19 RBIs, 20 runs scored, 18 stolen bases and a .950 fielding percentage last year, while Knipper ? a former Rummel High School standout -- hit .320 with 17 RBIs and 27 runs scored.
Brown, from Calhoun CC, was 10-2 with a 2.12 earned run average while pitching for the Nationwide Restoration Legion national champions. He also pitched the deciding game ? earning the win after going nine innings, allowing just nine hits with 11 strikeouts.
Chiles, from Delgado CC, has been converted from a starter to a closer. After starting at Delgado and posting an 8-2 record with a 2.55 ERA, he successfully moved to the closer role and picked up two saves with a 2-1 record and a 1.25 ERA.
Morris, Myers and Ludwig, meanwhile, are finishing off strong prep careers. Morris, out of Mandeville High School, hit .490 with a home run and 29 RBIs, while Myers was 4-2 with a 3.28 ERA at Carlisle High (Pa.). He was a Mid-Penn all-star and threw six shutout innings in the Keystone Games to earn his team a bronze medal.
Ludwig, out of Pendleton School of IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., was 2-0 with a 1.44 ERA in the IMG fall league this past autumn. He also pitched in the AAU Junior Olympics in New Orleans ? going 6-1 with a 1.44 ERA for his team.
“Having just gotten our staff together Sept. 1, we certainly would have had every excuse to put our recruiting efforts into the spring signing period,” Walter said. “We have not done that. We hope to sign three more players in April to conclude what I feel will be a nationally-competitive recruiting class.”
2007 SIGNEES
Matt Brown ? Calhoun CC (RHP, 6-0, 190, R/R)
Greg Chiles ? Delgado CC (RHP, 6-1, 175, R/R)
Justin Edwards - Mississippi Gulf Coast CC (2B, 5-9, 180, R/R)
TJ Hitt ? Mississippi Gulf Coast CC (C, 6-1, 180, R/R)
Michael Knipper ? Mississippi Gulf Coast CC (SS, 5-11, 180, R/R)
Zach Ludwig ? Pendleton School of IMG Academy (RHP, 6-0, 180 ? R/R)
Jay Morris ? Mandeville HS (OF, 6-2, 200, L/L)
Corey Myers ? Carlisle HS (RHP, 6-5, 175, R/R)
